Comment by State Department official comes after Netanyahu launches task force that will look into ways to retroactively legalize settlements built on private Palestinian land.

The U.S. State Department criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s newly launched attempt to legalize West Bank outposts on Wednesday, saying the move was “unhelpful” to Mideast peace efforts.

On Tuesday, Netanyahu’s office announced instructed Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to set up a task force to explore ways to legalize houses in the settlements that were built on private Palestinian land.